Planned Parenthood Commemorates Centennial, 80 Years in Wisconsin

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This week, Planned Parenthood has a lot to celebrate. For 100 years nationally, and for 80 years in Wisconsin, Planned Parenthood has been providing health care, education, and advocacy to keep people safe, healthy, and strong. Planned Parenthood was founded on the revolutionary idea that women should have the information and health care they need to live strong, healthy lives and fulfill their dreams.

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin (PPWI) began 80 years ago with the opening of a maternal health center in Milwaukee and throughout the years has adapted its services to address the health and information needs of the community. Today, PPWI operates 21 health centers across Wisconsin providing thousands of women, men and families in Wisconsin with compassionate, high-quality health care every year — from honest sex education to breast and cervical cancer screenings, STD testing, treatment and prevention, personalized birth control, well woman check-ups, referrals for prenatal care, mammograms and adoption, as well as safe, legal abortion services at two locations.

Over 100 years, Planned Parenthood has transformed women's health and empowered people worldwide to make informed health decisions, forever changing the way they live, love, learn and work. One in five women have come to trust Planned Parenthood at some point in their lives and for many of our patients, Planned Parenthood is their ONLY source of health care.

Birth control, once illegal for most, is widely available. Abortion, once a crime, is safe and legal. Planned Parenthood, once a single brownstone in Brooklyn, has approximately 650 health centers across the country.

Planned Parenthood could not have made it this far without the work of our partners in the reproductive health, rights, and justice community. We share our progress and achievements together, and are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder as we work toward the next 100 years of progress.

To celebrate, PPWI hosted events in communities across the state concluding on Friday with a luncheon featuring women's movement pioneer, Gloria Steinem. On Friday, PPWI also honored local artist Niki Johnson with the Voices Award to acknowledge her efforts to proudly be visible in her support of Planned Parenthood. Niki's latest art piece was unveiled and is made from the signs of the five PPWI health centers that were forced to close as a result of Governor Walker's defunding of Planned Parenthood. The piece titled, Hills and Valleys, addresses the ongoing battle for women to control decisions about their own bodies.

All of these events kick off a yearlong effort of activism, sharing and celebrating Planned Parenthood and the individuals who are visible with their contributions to the women's health movement.

On Sunday right after dusk, the east side of the PPWI building at 302 N. Jackson Street in Milwaukee will light up with some stunning imagery. Catch it live or stay tuned to our social media channels for this special video tribute between 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

At PPWI, we're just getting started. We will not rest until access to health care and reproductive freedom is a reality for all people. We will build on our proud legacy to launch our second century with as much passion, courage and conviction as our first. For more information about Planned Parenthood's anniversary click HERE.